The present application relates generally to gauges for clearance measurements, and more particularly to taper gauges for automatically measuring and/or recording gaps or clearances, methods of using the taper gauges, and systems that include the taper gauges.
Taper gauges are heavily used in the industrial environment to measure precise gaps, clearance, spacing, positioning and like, such as in gas turbine, jet engine, etc., which is important for regular maintenance, equipment safety, process optimization, and vibration mitigation. The taper gauge itself is typically a hand-held measurement tool that includes a tapered tip section that has in increasing thickness. The gauge has markings and the operator manually inserts the gauge into a space or measurement area until the insertion stops and/or the taper gauge has reached a snug fit in the measurement area, such that the taper gauge fills the thickness of the gap. The operator can then visually look for a marking on the side of the taper gauge that either corresponds to the thickness of the gap or that is the closest marking to the thickness of the gap. Experienced technicians have developed skills and know-how gained through experience and training to accurately use a taper gauge. These measurements are then typically recorded on paper or typed into a database. Thus, human-induced error(s) is therefore inevitable during this process, which may result in unsafe and inefficient operation with more costly maintenance.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to reduce or substantially eliminate the manual steps involved in determining and recording a gap or clearance measurement using a taper gauge. Such a measuring system should be highly accurate, efficient and/or allow for more objective determinations.